Case Manager - Care Coordination - Full Time 8 hours Day (Union, Non-Exempt)

University of Southern California; United States; On-site; USD 63,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Southern California is seeking a Case Manager to support the physician and interdisciplinary team in delivering high-quality patient care while managing costs and facilitating timely discharge planning.

The role coordinates utilization management, care facilitation, and communication with payers, physicians, and staff to ensure accurate documentation and reimbursement. An RN license and associate degree are required, with strong analytical and collaboration skills expected.

Qualifications

• Ability to work independently and exercise sound judgment in interactions with physicians, payers, and patients and families.
• Working knowledge of discharge planning, utilization management, and managed care reimbursement.
• Strong interpersonal communication and negotiation skills. Strong organizational and time management.

Responsibilities

• Actively participates in clinical performance improvement activities.
• Applies approved InterQual criteria to monitor admissions and stays.
• Collaborates with multidisciplinary team to discharge planning and care coordination.
• Ensures documentation accurately reflects severity of illness and services provided.

Skills

Independent work

Interpersonal skills

Negotiation

Time management

Analytical skills

Data management

Education

Associate’s Degree in Nursing

RN license (CA)

BLS certification

AHA Healthcare Provider certification

Job description

The purpose of the Case Manager position

The purpose of the Case Manager position is to support the physician and interdisciplinary team in the provision of patient care, with the underlying objective of enhancing the quality of clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction while managing the cost of care and providing timely and accurate information to payers. The role integrates and coordinates utilization management, care facilitation, and discharge planning functions. The Case Manager is accountable for a designated patient caseload and plans effectively in order to meet patient needs, manage the length of stay, and promote efficient utilization of resources. Specific functions within this role include: facilitation of pre-certification and payer authorization processes, facilitation of the collaborative management of patient care across the continuum, intervening as necessary to remove barriers to timely and efficient care delivery and reimbursement, application of process improvement methodologies in evaluating outcomes of care support and coaching of clinical documentation efforts and serving as a clinical resource for coders, ensuring that documentation accurately reflects severity of illness and intensity of service coordinating communication with physicians.

JOB ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Actively participates in clinical performance improvement activities.
• Applies approved InterQual criteria to monitor appropriateness of admissions and continued stays and documents findings based on department standards.
• Assist in the compilation of physician profile data regarding LOS, resource utilization, denied days, cost, case mix index, patient satisfaction, and quality indicators.
• Assists in the collection and reporting of financial indicators including case mix, LOS, cost per case, excess days, resource utilization, readmission rates, denials, and appeals.
• Collaborates and communicates with multidisciplinary team in all phases of discharge planning process, including initial patient assessment, planning, implementation, interdisciplinary collaboration, teaching, and ongoing evaluation.
• Collaborates with medical staff, nursing staff, and ancillary staff to eliminate barriers to efficient delivery of care in the appropriate setting.
• Collaborates with the physician and all members of the multidisciplinary team to facilitate care for designated caseload; monitors the patient’s progress, intervening as necessary and appropriate to ensure that the plan of care and services provided are patient focused, high quality, efficient, and cost effective; facilitates the following on a timely basis: completion and reporting of diagnostic testing, completion of treatment plan and discharge plan, modification of plan of care, as necessary, to meet the ongoing needs of the patient, communication to third-party payers and other relevant information to the care team, assignment of appropriate levels of care, completion of all required documentation in Affinity GUI screens and patient records.
• Collaborates/communicates with external case managers.
• Collects delay in service data and data for specific performance and/or outcome indicators as determined by the director.
• Communicates with Financial Counselor to facilitate covered day reimbursement certification for assigned patients. Discusses payer criteria and issues on a case-by-case basis with clinical staff and follows up to resolve problems with payers as needed.
• Completes utilization management for assigned patients.
• Coordinates/facilitates patient cares progression throughout the continuum.
• Documents relevant discharge planning information in the Affinity GUI System according to department standards.
• Ensures that all elements critical to the plan of care have been communicated to the patient/family and members of the health care team and are documented as necessary to ensure continuity of care.
• Ensures/maintains plan consensus from patient/family, physician, and payer.
• Facilitates transfer to other facilities.
• Identifies at-risk populations using approved screening tool and follows established reporting procedures.
• Initiates and facilitates referrals to the Home Health Liaison for home health care, hospice, and medical equipment and supplies.
• Issues Notices of Non-coverage per hospital policy.
• Manages all aspects of discharge planning for assigned patients.
• Meets directly with patient/family to assess needs and develop an individualized plan in collaboration with the physician.
• Monitors all transfer DRG’s.
• Monitors length of stay (LOS) and ancillary resource use on an ongoing basis. Takes actions to achieve continuous improvement in both areas.
• Perform 100% UR Review on all Medicare One-Day admissions.
• Proactively identifies and resolves delays and obstacles to discharge.
• Refers appropriate cases for social work intervention based on department criteria.
• Refers cases and issues to physician advisor in compliance with department procedures and follows up as indicated.
• Seeks consultation from appropriate disciplines/ departments as required to expedite care and facilitate discharge.
• Uses data to drive decisions and plan/implement performance improvement strategies related for assigned patients, including fiscal, clinical, and patient satisfaction data.
• Uses quality screens to identify potential issues and forwards information to the PI department.
• Utilizes advanced conflict resolution skills as necessary to ensure timely resolution of issues.
• Works collaboratively and maintains active communication with physicians, nursing, and other members of the multidisciplinary care team to effect timely, appropriate patient management.

Pay Transparency

The hourly rate range for this position is $46.00 - $76.07. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California Arcadia Hospital considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, State, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

Minimum Education

Associate’s Degree Nursing

Minimum Skills

Ability to work independently and exercise sound judgment in interactions with physicians, payers, and patients and their families. Current working knowledge of discharge planning, utilization management, case management, performance improvement, and managed care reimbursement. Excellent interpersonal communication and negotiation skills. Strong organizational and time management skills, as evidenced by a capacity to prioritize multiple tasks and role components. Understanding of pre-acute and post-acute venues of care and post-acute community resources. Strong analytical, data management, and PC skills.

Required Certifications

• Registered Nurse - RN (CA Board of Registered Nursing)
• Basic Life Support (BLS)
• Healthcare Provider from American Heart Association

Preferred Experience

3 years Clinical experience in Utilization Review and Discharge Planning in an Acute Hospital strongly preferred.

Equal Opportunity and EEO Statement

USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety.

Background Screening Policy

Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying.

Accommodations

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at [phone], or by email at [e-mail]. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

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About Keck Medicine

Keck Medicine of USC is the University of Southern California’s medical enterprise, one of only two university-based medical systems in the Los Angeles area. Keck Medicine combines academic excellence, world-class research and state-of-the-art facilities to provide highly specialized care for some of the most acute patients in the country. Our internationally renowned physicians and scientists provide world-class patient care at Keck Hospital of USC, USC Norris Cancer Hospital, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, USC Arcadia Hospital and more than 100 unique clinics in Los Angeles, Orange, Kern, Tulare and Ventura counties. Keck Medical Center of USC, which includes Keck Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Hospital, is among the top 50 hospitals in the country in 8 specialties, as well as the top three hospitals in metro Los Angeles and top 10 hospitals in California, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2024-25 Best Hospitals rankings.